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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I really need to hire a professional planner?
A. The answer to this is really in the question. Do you want to have a professional feel or look to the event? Many people tell themselves they don't need or want to hire a planner because of a few basic misconceptions. Let's take a closer look at the reason you think you may not need to hire a professional:
1. I think I can do it myself. The truth is, you can. People plan their own wedding or events all the time. Most of them are stressed out, go over budget, make compromises they regret and wish the event had turned out different. Why does this happen? Because they are not a professional who does this for a living. At Genesis, we have planned thousands of events over the course of 33 years. There is no one who can get a better deal for excellent service than we can.
2. I don't want someone to take control of my event. A true professional doesn't "take control" of your event and not include you. They work with you, your vision, your hopes, dreams, and goals, then advise you on the best way to accomplish what you want. At Genesis, you can be as active in the event planning as you wish. It is our goal to help you create the event of a lifetime.
3. I am pretty good at getting a good deal. I think this is the most common statement I hear. It is hard to explain to someone in person the truth about this without offending them. Although you may be good at finding a "good deal" to be clear, you're not buying a couch or surfing the net for the "cheapest" price on services for such an important day, are you? There really is a bigger difference than you may think. If you buy a cheap couch and don't like it, you can wait a year or two and just buy a new one. If you invest in a cheap event, can you, will you just wait a few years and have another one? Genesis has been producing events for over 33 years, we are the top event planner in the Central Valley and among the top 2% in the Nation. Our vendors provide us with the best service at an excellent price. We have the buying power which exceeds that of a single purchase buyer. Our influence in the event industry allows us to pass on amazing savings to our clients. Our average clients receive over $5,000 in free services and upgrades. Keep in mind a cheap price for poor service is not a good deal.
4. I plan our family parties and they say I have done a great job. What type of events have you planned for them? Would you say that the current event you are planning is the same? A backyard baby shower is nowhere near the same as a formal wedding for 300 people.
5. My Venue comes with a wedding planner. Unfortunately, this is a misnomer. Many times, not even the venue coordinator knows the difference. Their Wedding Coordinator or better known as the Venue Coordinator's main responsibility is to ensure the policies of the venue are being followed. They may offer light assistance on the event day itself. However, they rarely offer the extensive services of an event planner. Did you know in many cases the Venue Coordinator either doesn't help you with any of the planning or may not even be there the day of the event? At Genesis our packages can include; shopping for attire, website development, decor design, budget management, vendor confirmation, and much much more. We are there to help you from start to finish.
6. I don't want to spend the extra money on an event planner. I could use that for something else in our event. When our clients take our advice and combine it with discounts and upgrades their savings far exceed the amount that the client initially invested in our service. So, as an example, if you could invest $3,500 to get $5,000 along with peace of mind doesn't it make sense to hire us?
7. My fiance says I don't need a planner and that I can do it myself. That is because they truly do not understand what it takes to put together the event. In most cases when the couple both attends the initial consultation, we can more easily explain the full scope of benefits and both will clearly see the value in hiring us. In fact, we encourage your fiance to come to your meeting so that you both will be on the same page. It is much easier for you both to ask as many questions as possible so that you both are confident in your decision.
Q. How do I pick a planner?
To answer that, you first have to decide what is most important to you. Do you want someone with experience that can provide you with the wedding of your dreams, help with issues that may arise with family, friends, and vendors, someone who can get you a great price on quality vendors; or are you looking for the cheapest possible price? Planners' fees are typically based on their experience.
If you are looking for someone who can fix a problem at the last minute, you may only be able to find that from someone who has the experience and resources behind them. For that, it may be worth paying a little more for someone with more experience.
Although it isn't an entirely bad idea, many times vendors offer "kickbacks" or money for referrals so, you do need to ask yourself why they are referring that service to you. It may be a good idea to read the reviews the planners have and see what former clients thought. You can check out our reviews at https://bit.ly/2RQtwaF
Q. Should I ask other vendors for a referral to choose a planner?
Q. What is the process like?
We start out with a free consultation. During the consultation, we invest time to get to know you and your vision for your event. We want to gather information such as; your guest size, budget range, type of event, and additional details unique to the event. During this process, we try to determine if we are a good fit for each other. Genesis does take a limited amount of events each year and we want to be certain that we can service the client and event to both of our standards.
Once we decide we are a good fit, you will sign our letter of agreement and pay the required deposit, which in most cases is 50% down.
Then you are placed in our planning process phase program. This program allows us to make sure we plan each detail in the correct order and nothing falls through the cracks.
It is our goal to complete all your planning prior to 30 days before your event. This way you have 1 month before your event to easily handle any last minute things that may come up and enjoy the days leading up to your event.
Q. Do you offer other services?
Genesis offers a variety of services such as invitation design, website design, decor, rentals, and floral along with a large variety of services that can be found on our services page. However, all of these services are available to our event planning clients only. We do this to allow our client to have superior products at amazingly low prices. It is just another great benefit to hiring us to plan your next event.
Q. Will you work with my vendor(s)?
Yes, of course. We are always happy to meet and work with new vendors. As a policy, for the protection of our clients, we do not recommend vendors with whom we do not have previous working experience. Our recommended vendors have a proven track record of providing a superb service and have agreed to our high service standards beginning with signing our Genesis "Code of Conduct". As an additional benefit to using our recommended vendors, we have secured unmatchable discounts and upgrades. We recommend you wait to compare our offers before you secure vendors.
Q. Do you have experience working with different cultures?
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One of the great experience of servicing the Central Valley and California is the diverse culture here. We have vast experience in servicing most cultures, religions, and ethnic groups, including blending the many diversities together.
Q. Do you have any specialties?
The answer to this question may not be what you expect. We specialize in servicing nice people. We love creating a bond with our clients and forming lifelong relationships. We love what we do and want to love those we serve. We work hard to help you realize your dreams for your event.
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